Members of the British Royal Family typically only wear tiaras to formal state banquets, coronations and diplomatic receptions these days. But in the earlier decades of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth had many more opportunities to wear a tiara. Whether it was a night at the opera or a movie premiere, the young Queen—who took the throne at the age of just 25—was often seen in sparkling diamond tiaras. One such diadem no longer exists, however, and the reason makes a lot of sense.
In 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad, India, gave Queen Elizabeth an incredible gift for her wedding to Prince Philip. The Nizam instructed Elizabeth to choose what she liked from Cartier, and she selected a floral-themed diamond tiara and one of the most incredible necklaces in the royal collection. The Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace features approximately 300 diamonds, per the Royal Collection Trust, and the late Queen wore the diamond piece and its matching tiara to the 1952 Royal Variety Performance.
